Thermostat-controlled valve



June 10 1924. vw. c. HOUSHQLDER ET AL THERMOSTAT CONTROLLED VALVE FiledApril 11 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 10 1924.

W. C. HOUSHOLDER ET AL.

THERMOSTAT CONTROLLED VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11 1922 m. M.a: 6 6 wz n 5 1 Z 2 Z. 2 X\ 3 B a8 5 Lu 7. .0 Z 2 n a. 5m

June 1%, 1924.

res

WILLIAM G. HOUSHOLDER AND JOHN OFFICE.

P. WIEDENHOFER, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA.

THERMOSTAT-CONTROLLED VALVE.

Application filed April 11, 1922. Serial No. 551,459.

l thermostatic controlled valves are necessary.

The present invention has for its primary object to rovide a valve whichwill operate in both directions with a quick or snap ac tion, that is,without requiring the lapse of 2 any appreciable length of time whenmoving from one osition to the other, so that the valve is eithertightly closed or wide open, the sna action being attained solely bymechanica means without relying on the pressure of the fluid passingthrough the valve or without "resort to magnetic or electrical means;the construction of the valve being simple and its actuation positive.

Our invention may be readily understood 0 by reference to theaccompanying drawin s, in which:

ig. 1 shows our valve applied to a water tank of a common form of waterheater;

Fi 2 is a bottom elevation of the .vaive and its associated mechanismwith part of its housing removed;

Fig. 3 1s a transverse longitudinal section on line IIIIII of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line IV-IV ofFig. 3.

4 has an integral threaded extension 7 which attaches to the water tankand which carries a hollow expansible element, such as a copper tube 8.The" outer extremity of this tube is closed, and inserted in the tube,

through an opening in the extension 7, is a rod 9 of porcelain or othermaterial having a minimum co-eflicient of expansion un der heat.

Pivoted at 10 in the casing 5 is a lever 11 against which the inner endof the porcelain rod 9 bears, the point of contact being near the pivot10. The other end of lever 11 is pivotally connected at 12 to lug 13near one end of lever 14. Lever 14 has a cross head 15 at its oppositeend, on which are two spaced apart rounded cam surfaces 16. A

.set screw 17 in the casing member 6 bears against the end of lever 14adjacent lug 13,

and provides an adjustable fulcrum for.

lever 14. A spring 18 serves to oppose the action of the thermostatelements 8 and 9.

Bearing against the cam faces 16 are set screws 19 on L-shaped arms 20.These arms are fixed on a leaf spring 21 which extends across the casingtransversely, and has one end abutting against the side of easing 5,while its other end abuts against a vertlcal leaf sprin 22. Passingthrough the leaf spring 21 1s the stem 23-of valve 24. The

spring is disposed between upper and lower spaced apart nuts 25 on thethreaded stem 23. Sprin 21 always tends to bow, as shown in ig. 4. Theleaf'spring 21 is disposed transversely to the direction of movement ofthe valve.

The valve stem 23 extends through the valve 24, the upper end of whichis designated 23 being slidably received in a bore in the casing. vOnthe portion 23 of the stem is a spring 26 whlch servesto frictionallyengage the sides of the bore to hold the valve against independentmovement.

On the upper face of the cross head 15 are adjustable lugs or screws 27,for the purpose hereinafter described.

The casing member 6 is bolted to member 5 by bolts or screws 5 passingthrough lugs on the respective casing members. A sealing gasket 28 maybe interposed between. the casing sections.

The gas inlet pipe is designated as 30, and 31 is the inlet port. Thevalve seat is at 32 and the outlet passage to the burner is indicated bynumeral 33. The pipe leading to the burner is designatednt 34. By-pass35 controlled b needle valve 36 allows gas to flow to the learner at alltimes to provide a pilot light.

In operation, the tube 8 extends into the the porcelain rod 9 to pushagainst lever 11 Levers 11 and 14 multiply this movement, which is veryslight, to cause the cross head 15- to move an apprecia le distanceagainst the compression of spring 18. The leaf spring 21 is then bowedupwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the valve bein closed. Asthe cross head moves ra ually downwardly, the set screws 19 on t eL-shaped levers 20 ride down on the inclined cam surfaces 16, tending tostraighten leaf. spring 21. Leaf spring 22 yields to compensate for thestraightening out of the spring'21. During this time, the leaf spring 21will move between nuts 25 without moving the valve. As the leaf spring21 reaches dead center, it will snap downwardly into the full lineposition of Fig. 4, at the same time engaging the lowermost nut 25 tomove the valve a corresponding distance, the valve then being wide open.In this position, the leaf spring 21 will engage the heads of screws 27on the cross head 15.

Immediately upon the valve being opened, the water in the tank willbegin to be heated. As .its tem erature rises, the copper tube willexpan Spring 18 will then act to move the cross head 15 in the oppositedirection, upwardly. The heads of screws 27 pushing up on leaf spring 21moves it toward dead center. When it] reaches this position, the springbows up- .wardly with a snap, moving the valve with it to closedposition.

By adjusting nuts 25, screws 19 and screws 27, various modulationsin theaction of the valve can be obtained. Also, adjustment of the variationof temperatures between which the valve will act can be obtained byturning screw 17. Adjustment of screw 17 determines the criticalposition of the cross head at which the valve will snap open or closedby limiting the movement of lever 14. Except when large quantities ofwater are drawn from the tank, the temperature thereof may be ke tconstant within a very few degrees.

y adjustment of nuts 25, the valve could be made slow-acting in onedirection and quick-acting in the other, or slow in both. It isdesirable in mostinstances,

however, that the action be quick in both directions.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the valve is simple and can becheaply constructed. The actuation of the valve is positive and does notdepend on the pressure of the gas flowing through the valve. Variouschanges may be made in the details of construction of the valve withinthe scope of our invention, and within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing. a thermostatassociated therewith, levers in said casing arranged to be moved inaccordance with the expansion nd on raction of e he m t t, a leaf springhaving its ends confined by supporting means carried by the casing tohold it in a normally bowed compressed position and movable transverselyof its len th past its dead center fromia bow in one irection to a bowin the other, means on said levers engaging said spring for effectingsuch transverse movement of the spring, and a valve actuated by saidspring, said spring having a limited relative movement with respect tothe levers and with respect to the valve. 7

2. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith, a lever in said casing arranged to be moved inaccordance with the expansion and contraction of the thermostat, avalve. yieldable means movable relatively to the valve. and the leverfor transmitting motion from the lever to the valve, a lost motionadjustment for said yieldable means, whereby the lever may move apredetermined distance before moving the valve to put said yieldablemeans under compression, said yieldable means when sufiicientlycompressed serving to actuate the valve to relieve its compression.

3. A thermostat controlled valve including a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith. a lever in said casing actuated through theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a valve, and a resilientmeans carried by the casing connecting the thermostat and the valve,said resilient means being movable relatively to the valve and to thelever to a limited extent to provide a lost motion between the two butbeing movable with one when moving relatively to the other, saidresilient means having two extreme limits of movement,'toward one or theother of which it is urged by its own resiliency when intermediate thelimits of movement, said lever serving to move said resilient means awayfrom one limit or its movement to cause it to spring to the other.

4. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith. a lever. in said casing arranged to be moved inaccordance with expansion and contraction of the thermostat. areciprocable valve, means for transmitting motion from the lever to thevalve having a resilient element associated therewith and having 2.'limited movement relatively to the valve. said means being movable inan arc, the limit of which is defined by the open and closed position ofthe valve, said means being arranged to be moved through the firstportion of its travel in either direction by said lever and relativelyto the valve and a ainst the action of the resilient element. tieremaining portion of the movement being efiected by the resilientelement.

5. A thermostat controlled valve compri ing a ca i g, a t e mo t t asociate therewith, a lever actuated throu h the-expansion andcontraction of said t ermostat, a reciprocable valve, a leaf springsupported b the casing disposed transversely to the dlrection ofmovement of the .valve, said spring having a limited movement relativelyto the valve, said spring having two extremes of movement toward one orthe other of which it is urged by its own resiliency when moved to anintermediate position by the lever, and means having a limited movementrelatively to the lever for transmitting motion from the lever to thespring, said spring being movable with the valve when moving relativelyto the lever, "and vice versa.

6. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatamociated therewith, a lever in the casing actuated through theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a reciprocable valve, aleaf spring disposed transversely to the direction of movement of thevalve and loosely connected therewith in such manner that it may have alimited movement relatively to the valve, said leaf spring beingarranged to normally assume a bowed ition, and means for transmittingmotion from the lever to the spring to move it'to a central positiontending to straighten the spring, whereby it will snap into a bowedposition reverse to that from which it previously assumed, said springmoving relatively to the valve when being moved to the central positionand moving the valve when snapping to the bowed position.

7. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith, a lever in the casing actuated through theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a reciprocable valve, aleaf spring disposed transversely to the direction of movement of thevalve and loosely connected therewith in such manner that it may have alimited movement relatively to the valve, said leaf spring beingarranged to normally assume a bowed position, yieldable means at one endof the spring for yieldably holding it in a bowed position, and meansfor transmitting motion from the lever to the spring to move it to acentral position tendim to straighten the spring, whereby it w1l snapinto a bowed position reverse to that from which it previously assumed,said spring moving relatively to the valve when being moved to thecentral position and moving the valve when snapping to the bowedposition.

8. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith, a lever in the casing actuated through theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a reciprocable valve, aleaf spring disposed transversely to the direction of "mo emen f thealve and lo ely connecting and closing t through the casing, a stem onsaid valve, a

ed therewith in such manner that it may have a limited movementrelatively to the valve, said leaf spring being arranged to normallyassume a bowed position, a second leaf spring againstwhich one end ofsaid first leaf spring abuts and disposed transversely to the said firstleafspring, and means for transmitting motion from the lever to thespring to a central position tending to straighten the spring, wherebyit will snap into a bowed position reverse to that from which itpreviously assumed, said spring moving relatively to the valve whenbeing moved to the central position and moving the valve when snappingto the bowed position.

9. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing having inlet andoutlet passages, a thermostat carried by the casing, levers in thecasing actuated through the expansion and contraction of the thermo-rstat, a spring acting in' opposition to the thermostat, a reciprocablevalve for opene outlet passage of gas leaf spring disposed transverselyto said stem and engaging between spaced apart nuts thereon, said leafsprin being arranged to normally assume a iowed position, and means fortransmitting motion from one of said levers to said spring to effect anactuation of the valve.

mostat, a spring acting in opposition to the thermostat, a reciprocablevalve for opening and closing the outlet passage of gas through thecasing, a stem on said valve, a leaf spring disposed transversely tosaid stem and engaging between spaced apart adjustable nuts thereon,said leaf spring; be-

ing arranged to normally assume a bowed position, and means fortransmitting motion from one of said levers to said spring to effectan'actuation of the valve.

11. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatcarried thereby, a reciprocablevalve, a lever arranged to be rocked bythe thermostat, and a leaf spring carried by the casing for transmittingmotion from the lever to the valve, said spring having a limitedmovement relatively to the valve during the time it is being moved bythe lever, and having a movement relatively to the'lever when it isactuating the valve.

12. A thermostat controlled valve mechanism including a casing, athermostat carried thereby, a lever arranged to be rocked by theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a pair of cam faces on thefree end of said lever on one side thereof, projecting means on theother side thereof, a reciprocable valve, a leaf spring disposedtransversely to the direction of movement of the valve and having alimited movement relatively thereto, said leaf spring being arranged tomove the valve after it has moved a predetermined distance, levers onsaid leaf spring having means thereon engaging the cam faces for movingthe spring in one direction, said projecting means on the other side ofsaid lever being for the purpose of moving the spring in the oppositedirection.

13. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatcarried thereby, a reciprocable valve, a lever arranged to be rocked bythe thermostat, an adjustable fulcrum for said lever, and a normallybowed leaf spring carried by the casing for transmitting motion from thelever to the valve, said spring having a limited movement relatively tothe valve duringthe time it is being moved by the lever, and having amovement relatively to the lever when it is actuating the valve. j

14. A thermostat controlled valve mechanism including a casing, athermostat carried thereby, a lever arranged to be rocked by theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, an adjusting screw forvarying the operation of the lever, a pair of cam faces on the free endof said lever on one side thereof, projecting means on the other side.thereof, a reciprocable valve, a leaf spring disposed transversely tothe direction of movement of the valve and hav" in a limited movementrelatively thereto, sald leaf spring being arranged to move the valveafter it has moved a predetermined distance, levers on said leaf springhaving means thereon engaging the cam aces for moving the spring in onedirection, said projectin means on the other side of said lever icingfor the purpose of moving the spring in the opposite direction.

15. A thermostat cont-rolled valve mechanism including a casing, athermostat carried thereby, a lever arranged to be rocked by theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a pair of cam faces on thefree end of said lever on one side thereof, projecting means on theother side thereof, a reciprocable valve having a stem, a. normallybowed. leaf spring through which the valve stem passes disposedtransversely to the direction of movement of th valve and havin alimited movement relatively thereto etween adjustable. nuts on the valvestem, said leaf sprin being arranged to move the valve after it hasmoved a predetermined distance, levers on said leaf sprin having meansthereon engaging the cam aces for moving the spring in one direction,said projecting means on the other side of said lever being for thepurpose of moving the spring in the opposite direction. v

mergers 16. A thermostat controlled valve mechanism including a casing,a thermostat carried thereby, a lever arranged to be rocked by theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a pair of cam faces on thefree end of said lever on one side thereof, projecting adjustable screwson the other side thereof, a reciprocable valve, a leaf spring disposedtransversely to the direction of movement of the valve and having alimited movement relatively thereto, said leaf spring being arranged tomove the valve after said leaf spring has moved a predetermineddistance, levers on said leaf spring having adjustable screws thereonengaging the cam faces for moving the spring in one direction, saidprojecting adjustable screws on the other side of said lever being forthe purpose of moving the spring in the opposite direction.

17. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith, a lever actuated through the expension andcontraction of said thermostat, a reciprocable valve,-a leaf springdisposed transversely to the direction of movement of the valve, saidspring having a limited movement relatively to the valve, means on saidvalve for preventing movement thereof independently of the leaf spring,and means with respect to which the spring is relatively movable fortransmitting motion from the lever to the spring.

18. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing, a thermostatassociated therewith, a lever in the casing actuated through theexpansion and contraction of the thermostat, a reciprocable valve, aleaf spring disposed transversely to the direction of movement of thevalve and loosely connected therewith in such manner that it may have alimited movement relatively to the valve, said leaf spring beingarranged to normally assume a bowed position, means for transmittingmotion from the lever to the spring to move it to a central positiontending to straighten the spring, whereby it will snap into a bowedposition reverse to that from which it previously assumed, said springmoving relatively to the valve when being moved to the central positionand moving the valve when snapping to the bowed position, and means onsaid valve for frictionally holding it against movement relatively tothe spring.

19. A thermostat controlled valve comprising a casing having inlet andoutlet passages, a thermostat carried by the casing,

levers in the casing actuated through the expension and contraction ofthe thermostat, a spring acting in opposition to the thermostat, areciprocable valve for opening and closing the outlet passage of gasthrough the casing, a stem on said valve, a leaf spring d p sed rans e yto s id stem and an:

menses gaging between spaced apart nuts thereon, always seek a bowedposition interposed besaid leaf spring being arranged to normally tweenthe lever and valve for transmitting assume a bowed position, a springon the motion from the former to the latter, and valve stem forfrictionally holding the valve resilient supporting means mounted in the5 against independent movement, and means casing, at one end of saidleaf spring for 115 for transmitting motion from one of said yieldablyallowing the spring to straighten. levers to said spring to eifect anactuation In testimony whereof we aflix our signaof the valve. tures.

20. A thermostat actuated valve including WILLIAM C. HOUSHOLDER.

10 a lever, a valve, a leaf spring arranged to JOHN P. WIEDENHOFER.

